Destined
by Team Edward Rules All
Summary: Bella was one of the newborns in the army trained to kill the Cullens. Will Edward have the strength to kill her even when he feels something for her the second they touch if it protects his family? Can one touch change everything?
1. Chapter 1

**Destined**

**Summary: Bella was one of the newborns in the army. Will Edward have the strength to kill her even when he feels something for her the second they touch if it protects his family? Can one touch change everything?**

**As usual, I came up with this idea while trying to sleep. I really don't understand how ideas come to me when I'm half-conscious but I'm glad that this one did. If this idea has already been used then I'm sincerely sorry because I had no idea and I'm pretty sure that it's original. It should be different in any case and very unique. The song that I listened to (about 50,000 times) while writing this was Lost in Paradise by Evanescence. Anyway, enough with my ramblings and start reading the story :D**

**Thanks a heap to OhBoyYourMine for beta'ing this chapter :)  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, there I said it!**

**Edward's POV**

I listened intently for the simple brush of ferns against ones legs, or even the sound of subtle footsteps, to announce the arrival of the remainder of my family, but all that could be heard, or perceived was the whisper of an undetectable wind and the impatient tapping of my sister, Alice, as her frustration became physical.

I shot her a look of irritation, as her thoughts portrayed her agitation with no remorse - my family members were all aching for the upcoming battle for some insane reason. I understandably didn't share their enthusiasm.

I couldn't understand how they could risk their mate's safety just for pleasure even though it was necessary to save Esme. They were all blessed enough to have met their second half, while I, stuck on the other hand of this fateful game, didn't have that same luxury, having not met her yet. If I ever met her, then I would protect her with my life, although the chances of me finding her now were limited. If I couldn't find the right woman for me in an agonizingly lonesome century, then my chances were evidently doomed. It didn't really benefit my outlook on life - my family encouraged me to live a little more, as my dejected moods perturbed their blissful ones.

The only comfort I had now, or ever, were them and my music - which I sometimes loved to combine by composing songs for all of them. I longed for the day when I could compose one for my beloved, but knew that, that time would never arrive. The only people that I could protect at the moment were my family, and so far, I had fulfilled that duty perfectly. Today, however, was going to be difficult, as it was my fault that we were all here and that all of us, especially Esme, were in danger.

It wasn't Alice who convinced Esme to visit her old birthplace on her anniversary. It wasn't Jasper who insisted that Esme go alone with Carlisle to show him the place that she had been brought up in. It wasn't Emmett who hadn't recognized Charles Evenson, when he had turned up at our door, and then told him all about Esme's life in the past ninety years when he inquired about it, it wasn't Rosalie who gave Charles the directions to where Esme and Carlisle were staying so that he could easily locate them and it definitely wasn't Esme who put herself in danger - although she could protect herself, it wasn't enough in this case. It was all me and I wouldn't let anyone else shoulder the blame when they didn't deserve it. I was totally at fault and despite everyone's protests, they knew that it was true.

Somehow Charles had been transformed into a vampire a couple of decades back and had formed a crazy infatuation for Esme, and wouldn't let her escape without an endless fight. Charles had gone to the extreme now and had formed an army to finish us all off, so that he could have Esme as his own whether, she complied or not. So, here we all were, preparing to fight back, in order to maintain the safety which we used to have. I still couldn't shake off the feeling of dread which weakened my very core as I thought about the fight and its dangers.

"You ready to face those newborns?" Emmett asked me conversationally.

"Yeah," I lied smoothly. Lying came to me naturally, as it should after one hundred and nine years of acting on it when necessary, and Emmett wouldn't notice the difference in any case.

"Well good, because I hear the others coming," Emmett informed me with a grin, as I instantly swept the forest in search for them - I could hear their thoughts before I could see their enthused faces, but their words alone were enough. 

"The newborns have nearly arrived," Carlisle told us, once we were in sight of each other. I nodded, knowing this information before he had even informed me of it.

"Don't forget my training. With more of them and less of us, we have a great disadvantage," Jasper murmured.

"Ha, this will be easy." Emmett snorted, and I knew that nothing could dissipate his mood. Not even a gruesome battle with lives lost.

Unless one of us died, that is.

"Watch it guys, I can hear the newborns!" I exclaimed, dropping into a crouch instinctively. They all followed suit and began considering possible strategies in their heads, so that they were as prepared as possible. I, however, searched for the newborns in the incessant gloom of the forest, and tore forward when they entered my peripheral vision. They all looked delighted to slash and tear us apart, so guillotining the first one's head off with no mercy took no toll on my conscience. I dodged skilfully, as some of the others attempted to decapitate me. I eyed a female in the corner of the shadows who was out of anyone's view but mine, and I believed that the reason for her strange non-conflict was due to the fact that she were coming up with a tactic to kill us, or all her other plans had failed. However, when I ran over to kill her and end her plans before they could be formed, the figure slid to the murky ground and sunk her face in her hands as if she were surrendering - I feared the dominant emotion on her innocent face.

I hesitated, stunned by her absolute beauty, as she finally looked up. Her striking eyes appraised me with outstanding shock, and began to sob despondently, her body wracking with them as if she had completely given up on everything. I was so touched with pity by her sobs and peculiarly innocent expression, that I forgot all about the battle, all about my family, all about who this girl was _really _supposed to be - the enemy.

I focused just on her.

I couldn't seem to keep my eyes off her long, dark, luxuriant, brown hair, her startlingly deep crimson eyes as they stared impenetrably into mine, her perfectly proportioned and trembling lips, her frightened and curled up figure and I couldn't stop listening to the heartbreaking echoes of her sobs as they consumed my every thought.

I tried to read her thoughts to see if there were more than the obvious reasons for her sorrow, but I couldn't even hear a whisper. For some unknown reason to me, her thoughts were silent, causing me to become even more intrigued by her than I already was. There was no way that I could kill her now. I would first die before laying one hand against her. I couldn't understand why I was so instantly protective of her, but I just knew that I had to be.

The answer would be revealed later, and for now that was enough.

"Please don't kill me. I didn't want to be here, I didn't want to fight. I don't want to die, especially at your hand, I don't want to die," she chanted, rocking back and forth against the accommodating tree and making no move to attack me.

"You don't have to," I told her softly, to my surprise and hers. "If you don't want to fight then I won't kill you. I don't want to kill you."

"You don't? Why? We…we tried to kill your family," she said incredulously, her sobs thankfully decreasing as she discovered that my intention was not to end her life.

"I don't know," I answered her with utter frustration, but softened my expression, when I saw that she appeared frightened, thinking I was going to turn on her.

"I'm not going to hurt you. I can't." And it was true; I couldn't hurt this woman who was comparable to an angel. It would be murder, a great sin if I did so.

"I won't hurt you either. I never wanted to fight," she whimpered.

"It's all right, I know you won't," I consoled her, holding out my hand in offering. She stared at it for a minute before accepting it, with a chance of a smile coming on. As she took it, I felt an electric current pulse through us and we both gasped quietly. With that one touch I knew why nothing mattered to me anymore. It was like the werewolves legend of imprinting but more potent. Not only had I felt something from this girl the second that I saw her but now that I had touched her the world had shifted and suddenly I would do anything for her, everything for her. I didn't even know her name yet I would die for her. Willingly and almost gladly in fact it seemed. I grasped her hand tighter with this revelation and stared into her eyes like they were my only salvation. She stared back desperately, as if she had experienced the same revelation.

If she broke eye contact, then I would suddenly disappear.

"What is your name?" I asked her politely, trying to not let my curiosity portray my adoration.

"Isabella, but everyone calls me Bella. Or everyone I did know, used to," she amended. What a fitting name for her, a better one could not have been chosen. She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen and I knew that her attraction for me would never change regardless of how many times I looked at her or was in her presence.

"I'm Edward." I smiled at her warmly.

"Edward," she murmured in awe, a small smile slowly forming on her anxious face.

"You don't have to be a part of this anymore. You can come with me; you don't have to be with Charles anymore. You're safe now. You're safe now," I soothed her, rubbing circles into her tense hand, which promptly relaxed, as if my touch were an antidote to all her fear.

"You…you were supposed to be my enemy but I feel safer with you then I ever have with anyone else…it's not supposed to be that way but I can't help feeling like this," she confessed, clutching my hand more tightly.

"You should feel safe. I won't let my family hurt you, I won't let Charles hurt you and I won't hurt you. I would never hurt you," I promised; and then without warning she collapsed into my arms, sobbing into my shoulder desolately. I hesitantly wrapped my arms around her waist, as she dry-sobbed, and I was pleased to find the notion natural, as if I were meant to do this. Even just holding her or being in her presence seemed natural.

I'm sorry…You were supposed to kill me and your family will….I'm sorry…I'm sorry," she gasped repeatedly before wrapping her arms around my body in an iron hold, as if she were staking her claim on me.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. It's not your fault that you got involved in all of this." I rubbed her back consolingly to discontinue her sobs. There were no more words between us, just a profound connection which could neither be penetrated nor weakened.

_Edward,_ I heard Alice call out to me from a few meters away. _What are you doing over there in the shadows? We've killed them all but Charles escaped while we killed his army. We'll deal with him later..._ I made no movement and continued to hold Bella in my arms as she released all her sorrows. It felt right.

_Edward,_ she repeated and then made her way over to us when I didn't respond. For once in an eternity I saw Alice as a threat and swept Bella behind me, a snarl escaping my lips as she advanced on us. Bella whimpered quietly behind me and I took a protective stance in front of her so that she would feel at ease and I could protect her if necessary.

_Edward, watch out. There's one behind you!_ Alice thought urgently, pointing at Bella and causing me to snarl in response.

"You can't hurt her. I won't let you!" I said fiercely. Alice's eyes glazed over in surprise and she unexpectedly gasped, before bouncing up and down with enthusiasm at a vision that she had seen. I relaxed my stance, having read her mind and realizing that her intentions weren't sinister. I abruptly froze in shock as I watched a variety of visions flit across her mind, and watched intently as one became rock solid.

_Bella was walking down an aisle bordered with flora at Twilight, wearing an intricately designed white wedding gown, her eyes a glistening topaz and a smile of pure exultation on her face with mine a mirror image of hers._

The vision ended and I looked at Alice with undisguised astonishment in my eyes.

"It's a bit early," I muttered, when she said nothing, as if I was irritated by the vision, but on the inside I was soaring. No matter how early it was, I had found my other half. I had found the one that was destined for me, the one that would make me laugh, the one that would cause me intense joy, the one that I would love for eternity and the one that would reciprocate that love.

I had found her, my Bella.

"Hi, I'm Alice," Alice introduced herself to Bella, who visibly flinched at her close proximity.

"Alice won't hurt you," I assured her with an encouraging smile. She looked from my face to Alice's, and then back again, before stepping without a word into my slightly outstretched arms, hiding her face in my chest.

_I don't think she'll trust anyone for a while,_ Alice thought sadly, wanting to be her close confidant already.

"What about me then?" I questioned. She seemed to trust me, in fact she seemed to more than trust me, but I couldn't think about that right now. Not when I could be wrong. Despite the vision Alice had, she may not feel something for me. The thought made me feel empty inside and I quickly dismissed it before it could take over.

_You're different. You're her mate, her salvation. You saved her from a life that she hated living and if it weren't for you then she would have died._

Shuddering at the thought, I wrapped my arms tightly around her, and buried my face into her lavish hair. Her scent, like her beauty, was one of the most alluring things that I had ever known. She smelt like freesia and strawberries, a scent that I could spend all day inhaling, were I so inclined.

_Aww, you guys are so cute together._

"Edward. Alice," I heard Carlisle say urgently, from somewhere close by. For once in my long lifetime I felt genuine fear, as I saw Alice freeze with trepidation, as a vision entered our minds. The fear wasn't for me though - it was for Bella.

"It's the Volturi," she whispered."They're coming."

**Is this story interesting enough? Are you interested in reading more? Then please review if you wish for more :D**

**BETA Comment: You, readers...yeah, I'm talking to you. Don't forget to review this fine young lady's story... *narrows eyes* I've got my eyes on you. *sings* Re-viewwww**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Thanks for reviewing the last chapter people. You are all awesome! Thanks to you the next chapter is up. Merry Christmas everyone and enjoy!**

**Thanks also to my Beta OhBoyYourMine  
><strong>

Bella glanced at our apprehensive expressions with doubled trepidation and there were no words that I could find, no actions that I could follow which could soothe both her and me. I simply took her hand, which she accepted hesitantly, but unquestionably with relief, and led her over to my waiting family. She followed me willingly despite her fear, seeming not to care where we were going as long - as I didn't leave her side.

I knew exactly how she felt.

My family's tense faces, as we walked towards them, were not the least bit appeased and grew to be noticeably alarmed as they spotted Bella.

"A newborn? Really Edward, you can't keep feeling sorry for every living being. They tried to kill us," Jasper said with exasperation, and unlike Alice, his intention was to kill. I went into protective mode instantly, snarling the closer he got. Jasper halted to a stop abruptly, pulled up short and his expression understandably confused as he perceived my stance. However, I didn't lose my caution.

"Guys, the Volturi will be here in a matter of five minutes. All will be explained later!" Alice yelled, gaining everyone's attention at once by the tenor of her tone.

"We're all in danger with that newborn present!" Jasper seethed. "The Volturi will kill us all for being in association with a lawbreaker!"

"She didn't do anything wrong!" I retorted furiously.

"She was in a newborn army Edward. Newborn armies are illegal!"

"If I remember clearly, you were in one too!" I countered, raising an eyebrow and daring for him to contradict me.

"Why do you care so much? She's just a newborn of no significance," Jasper crassly assumed after he discovered that he had no appropriate comeback.

"That's where you're wrong!" I fumed, sweeping Bella behind me as he took another daring step forward towards us. Bella cringed into my back and I could hear her shaking with fright.

"One step closer..." I warned.

"Stop it you two. The Volturi will arrive in thirty seconds!" Alice screeched, her voice tainting the still air. Bella's arms wound around my chest and thankfully I could feel her tremors decreasing as we made physical contact. The others stared at us with complete astonishment, questions forming in their stunned eyes and occupied minds.

"Later," I whispered to them, as I listened attentively for the sound of footsteps to pronounce the appearance of the Volturi. It wasn't long before I heard the faint sounds of feet treading lightly on the grass and observed them from afar. Fortunately for us, there were only four members of the Volturi present, but two of those four members were one of the most dangerous aspects of the Volturi. Jane and Alec were part of the crusade.

"Well, well. It seems that you have coped despite the numbers. How impressive." Jane looked at the smoky columns of ash with feigned surprise. Her thoughts said otherwise. "But it seems that you've missed one." Her eyes narrowed as she perceived Bella.

"She's with us now," I addressed Jane coldly.

"I'm afraid that you don't get to make that decision. From my point of view, she deserves to be punished," Jane sneered; Alec and the others nodding in mute agreement.

"I'm afraid that I won't allow that." My tone sharpened and I felt Bella's arms tighten around me almost possessively.

"Well I'm terribly sorry but that's not how we work," she scorned, sarcasm marring her tone. "However, the newborn's life will be prolonged, for a little while."

Bella whimpered quietly.

"I have to probe some information out of her first." Jane smiled balefully. "Newborn, what's your name?"

Bella stared at her with alarm and unwillingness. Her expression became suddenly defiant as she walked swiftly to stand in front of me, refusing to answer. I wondered where the sudden confidence had sprung up from and couldn't determine its cause.

You asked for it,Jane thought with glee, as Bella relaxed into my chest, totally unaware of what Jane could do.

"No!" I cried out in horror as Jane stared at Bella, a smile on her child-like face, trying to inflict her power unsuspectedly on her. I swept Bella behind me urgently and faced Jane instead. A second passed and I felt myself drop to the floor in torment, as Jane's power burned my insides. I could barely hear Bella's surprising screams as she pleaded with grief for Jane to stop hurting me in the ultimate pain I was experiencing. I contained my own well justified screams for many reasons, the main one being that I needed to be strong for Bella, however, despite my resolve, I couldn't help but writhe on the floor in anguish as the pain consumed me. Mercifully the pain stopped after a few more torturous seconds, but horror, more present than ever before, overcame me as I realised that Bella was currently unprotected. I got to my feet, faster than a bullet and sighed with relief as I realised that Bella appeared unaffected.

Wait? Jane's power didn't affect Bella? Or had Jane decided not to torment Bella?

The second option was practically impossible.

Alec patted his sister's shoulder reassuringly, as she tried unsuccessfully again to inflict severe pain on Bella. She shook Alec's hand off with irritation and unhidden fury, as her attempts continued to fail.

"Well." Jane gritted her teeth. "If you won't answer then I'll have to go and rip that pretty little head off your shoulders, so talk."

Bella flinched and then stepped backward into me. I enveloped my arms around her automatically, and she welcomed my touch as if it were a lost friend, looking at me with trust and indecision. I smiled encouragingly and then nodded. She took a deep breath and then turned back to face Jane.

"I'm…I'm Bella," she introduced herself unsteadily. I squeezed her waist reassuringly and her voice grew noticeably stronger. "What do you want to know?"

"What I want to know is the number of newborns who came to fight this coven and why you were all created!" Jane snapped.

"There were twenty of us, although a few were killed along the way in reoccurring fights. We were created to… to fight Edward's family."

"You say it like you are both close confidants already. In fact, your actions suggest it too. What do you want with Edward?" Jane asked, the curiosity in her voice extinguishing a great deal of her coldness. Bella's lips pressed together and she didn't answer, as if she didn't know the answer herself, or wasn't sure of it in the least.

"Well?"

"He…. he makes me feel safe," she blurted out, her face chagrined and then she buried her face into my shoulder. My family's gasps couldn't be contained and they all began to ponder in their heads over what this all meant. I didn't want to enlighten them any time soon.

"Well, well. This is all very interesting and now I am pressed with the issue on whether or not to kill you. You see, Aro may be furious with me for destroying a gifted newborn," Jane deliberated indecisively.

A first for her.

"Gifted?" I echoed in shock.

"Even you should be able to see it. She's a shield," Jane laughed scornfully.

"Well, yes we see it now. Now, can't you see that Aro would hate to see such talent go to waste?" Carlisle spoke for the first time, his tone persuasive.

"Yes, killing this newborn is not worth Aro's wrath. Perhaps I should go and then return if he thinks otherwise," Jane contemplated, tilting her head to the side.

"That would be an innocuous idea, sister," Alec agreed.

"Well then, see to it that she is inconspicuous and doesn't leave your sight. I doubt that Aro would want for me to destroy her, as talented as she is, but perhaps we will visit you all sometime soon to check up on her." The warning in her voice was undeniable. We all nodded curtly and then, without another word, Jane disappeared into the trees with the other three in her wake.

"Son, would you like to explain to us all about what's going on?" Carlisle asked me gently.

"Yes, some enlightenment would be helpful." Rosalie crossed her arms across her chest impatiently with a huff, demanding an explanation, while glaring at Bella frostily.

"I'm sorry but I can't reveal anything yet." And I couldn't. I couldn't declare my muddled but true feelings for Bella in front of everyone, even if they were my family, when Bella hadn't even heard one word of my adoration for her. It would be wrong to let everybody else know first, before we had even had one private moment - I didn't even know if she felt the same way. We'd only known each other for an hour! Yet that hour was filled with as much love and infatuation inside of me, as if I had known her for an eternity. Nobody had ever enlightened me on how potent the mating experience was or how sudden. I didn't need extra time to tell myself or discover that I loved her, and I did. I loved her and it was an irrevocable, overpowering and staggering love that I felt.

I was drawn from my circle of perfect revelations by Rosalie's harsh voice.

"You owe us an explanation," Rosalie hissed.

"Give me a day, please, and then I'll explain everything," I pleaded desperately.

"Guys, listen to him," Alice said and I smiled at her with gratitude. Alice had always watched my back and this was the most crucial time in my whole existence. I could count on her.

"We need to discuss Bella's lodgings here." Esme smiled warmly at Bella, who looked down shyly.

"She's going to stay with us?" Rosalie said furiously, disgust apparent in her tone.

"Yes Rose, she is!" I snarled.

"Why? She can't automatically be a part of this family!"

"Yes, she will be." I stared Rosalie down with a glare. Her eyes narrowed.

"I can… I can leave. If that's what you want. I'm used to not being wanted." Bella smiled sadly at me, however she gripped my arm more tightly as she spoke. Her words caused a great melancholy within me. Who could not want such an amazing person? It was virtually impossible.

"No. You don't have to leave." I don't want you to leave. "Rose doesn't know what she's talking about."

"It's okay. If I'm a bother -" she started but I cut her off before she got the wrong notion.

"You are in no way a bother. The question is do you want to stay with us?" I asked Bella softly, ignoring Rosalie's hostile glare.

"I have nowhere else to go," she whispered. "And I can't…"

"You can't what?" I inquired, when she seemed incapable of responding, and her eyes flashed with chagrin.

"I can't leave you," she whispered, so inaudible that only I could hear her. I was thankful for that fact; it seemed like a private thing.

"As can't I," I murmured as softly as she had. Her eyes lit up, enhancing her beautiful complexion as she smiled at me with awe and undeniable warmth.

"Yay, Bella's going to live with us!" Alice cheered.

"Great, just what I needed." Rosalie groaned, before whipping around and staking off into the trees, Emmett trailing warily behind her.

"We'd better take you back to the house," Esme murmured, reaching for Bella's arm. Bella flinched away from her in response and cowered into my chest, as if she were frightened by Esme's simple contact.

"Rough past," I mouthed to Esme, who nodded earnestly.

"Well, how about you hunt first," Carlisle suggested kindly to Bella. She shook her head once she had turned back around to look at Carlisle and I eyed her questionably.

"Charles." She shuddered. "He made me feed on innocent people even when I could control my thirst and I wasn't the least bit desirous to feed. He told me that we were the leaders of this world and that humans were prey, at the bottom of the food chain. He made me drink from my sister. My own innocent little sister! She died because of me. I haven't hunted since then and I refuse to kill another human. Nobody should suffer what my family suffered!" she dry-sobbed, obviously re-encountering the events in her head. Without thinking, I embraced her tightly to ease her sorrows and then stood back, afraid that I had crossed the wrong line. She looked far from angry though, and seemed grateful for my condolence. Esme raised an eyebrow, but remained silent.

"Well that's fitting since we don't want you to feed on humans. We want you to feed on animals." I laughed gently.

"Animals? There's a second option." Bella asked, her eyes igniting with hope.

"Yes and that's why our eyes are yellow," I explained with a coy smile.

"That explains it," she muttered, but her eyes betrayed her joy. "What animals do you hunt?"

"Usually bears, elk and my personal favourite, mountain lion." I grinned.

"Well, I'm willing to try it." She shrugged nonchalantly.

"Great, I know the perfect spot," I offered, knowing the perfect location.

"Would you like…" Esme began.

"I think that just Edward should go with her. You know, because she trusts him the most." Alice smiled, a mischievous glint in her eyes. I ignored the vision which swept through her mind, wanting to experience it, when the time came and be taken by surprise for once.

"That's probably for the best." Esme sighed.

"Well then, shall we." I held out my hand in offering to Bella.

"Yes," she murmured and then took my hand.

**Here's a preview to get you pumped up for the next chapter, since the end of this one wasn't that exciting:**

**"I don't even know how this is all possible, all these feelings that I'm experiencing in such a short period of time, but I do know this; I know that I feel something for you." Bella stared deeply into my eyes.**

**Not only will declarations be in the next chapter but other interesting twists will too.**

**Please review and your feedback shall be rewarded with a new chapter :D**

**Beta: I'm sorry that this chapter is up late. Why am I apologizing? Because this amazing author sent me the second chapter two days after I beta-read her first chapter, and I kept putting it off because of my Christmas shopping. Sorry you had to wait so long, guys. Throw knives at me, not her. Happy holidays!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Thanks for all the reviews, alerts, favourite story adding, and for every bit of support that you guys have given me. You don't know how much it means to me :) This chapter is inspired by the song Anywhere by Evanescence - such a sweet and awesome song; it fits this story so well.**

**Thanks also to my Beta OhBoyYourMine for making sure that there are no errors in this chapter :)  
><strong>

Bella never looked back as we left my family to their own devices and disappeared further into the gloom of the forest. She was inexplicably trusting as portrayed by her calm movements and tranquil expression; but then again I felt the same way.

She could have led me into the turrets of the Volturi castle - I would have followed.

Both of us were content to walk in peaceful silence, just to bask in our own thoughts although mine were troublesome. Rosalie's wrath was at the bottom of the list, despite it being a pressing issue. I needed to think of a way to curb her rage. When Rosalie was infuriated, everybody suffered and it took a few days for her to cool off. I knew that it would take more than a few days in this case but nothing could stop me from aiding Bella. If a home and a family were what she needed, then I would be more than happy to accommodate.

I hoped fiercely that this hunting trip would enlighten me on her past. If I knew about her past then it would be easier to help her, but so far I knew nothing but her name.

I hated being a stranger to her.

So as we ran, I contemplated over several topics that I could bring up. All of them sounded stupid and insensitive when I replayed them in my mind, so I held my tongue and continued running through possible topics in my mind. Unfortunately for me, we reached the destination of my choice before I could change my indecisive mind. Bella, however, started the conversation, her inquisitiveness taking over everything else.

"Is hunting animals easy? Do they taste delectable? Why doesn't everyone follow this diet?" she asked, all the hesitation and fright gone from earlier, as if just being alone with me had cured it. I flashed her a coy smile and then squeezed her hand with the lightest applied pressure. She squeezed it back and smiled shyly, her eyes filled to the brim of curiosity and something else that I couldn't decipher.

"Most vampires aren't moral like you and I," I admitted, and Bella flinched obviously thinking of Charles. I pulled her into my arms and knew that all thoughts of Charles had disappeared from her troubled mind as I embraced her when she visibly calmed. "Animals don't taste as…as pleasant as human blood, but animal blood is bearable and allows us to keep our conscience."

"Were you always like this?" she wondered and I cringed internally at her question. This was not a topic I wanted to bring up, when we hardly knew each other. I didn't want her to get the wrong impression of my nature even, when I did deserve to be battered with words for my actions all those years ago.

"For four years, about a year after my…creation, I fed on human blood but only on those of criminals. It was still wrong and I regret my actions deeply, but what can we do about the past? Only look forward to the future."

"Sometimes, the past can't be forgotten." She shuddered.

"He's never coming back for you; I won't let him take you away from me," I vowed, stroking her dark hair softly. She snuggled closer into my chest and then sighed.

"I don't think badly of you for that. At least you killed malevolent people who deserved to die. Charles killed innocent people, children even and I…" She cringed, unable to continue.

"Would you like to talk about your past? Maybe it will help," I offered.

"I'm not ready…to talk about…that," she said shakily.

"We don't have to. Not ever if you don't wish it," I told her, rubbing her back reassuringly. Her crimson eyes suddenly became serious as she asked her next question.

"Why do you care about me so much? Why would you risk everything to save me?"

"This is a conversation best had after hunting when you're most concentrative. So you can decide on whether…just come on." I sighed, not wanting her to run from me so soon. Despite her overwhelming curiosity and suspicion at my evasion she quickly let it drop and listened to my simple instructions.

"Okay, stand about a meter from me and then cock your head to the west. Do you hear a heartbeat?"

"Yes," she said, once she had complied. "Do I just run over and…bite into it?" she asked, sounding unsure.

I smiled at her hesitation.

"Precisely, just follow your instincts," I instructed. Without a word, she sped off in the direction of the elk and was draining it within seconds, as if she had known what to do all along. No blood seemed to cling to her clothes and she wiped off the remaining blood from her face with the back of her hand as nonchalantly as if it were chocolate milk.

"So what do you think?" I asked her causally. In response she bounded over to me, a grin the size of a planet plastered on her divine face.

"You were right! I don't have to hurt anyone anymore. This is…this is amazing. Who cares if it tastes weird and kind of disgusting? I sure don't!" she sang ecstatically, her bell-like voice echoing into the trees like music. I laughed at her exuberance and tried to contain my shock as she literally jumped into my arms in her glee and sent us tumbling to the ground. The laughter stopped when we both found that our faces were inches apart and we were staring into each other's eyes intently. I brushed a stray strand of dark hair out of her wide eyes, my eyes still locked into their endless depths. A small smile formed on her lips but she remained silent.

"Before I answer your question," I murmured, "can you answer one of mine?"

She nodded wordlessly.

"Why do you trust me and crave my company so much?"

"I trust you because I feel like I've known you for a thousand years not a few hours and I can trust you with any secret. I don't know why or how, just that I do and that goes for wanting for you to hold me all the time as well, but looking into your eyes now at this very moment, I think I know the reason why." She took a deep breath in preparation.

"I think I do too," I whispered.

"Like I said, I don't even know how this is all possible, all these feelings that I'm experiencing in such a short period of time but I do know this. I know that I feel something for you." She stared deeply into my eyes, the intensity in them unbelievable. "And that something, as inconceivable as it sounds, I believe that it might be love."

"You know what?" I smiled at her exultantly, the elation inside of me threatening to explode with the capacity of it.

"What." She replied anxiously. How could she possibly think that what we had was one-sided? How could someone as brilliant and stunning as her be unsure? It seemed like I wasn't the only who had insecurities.

"I think you're right."

"Really?" she whispered, daring herself to believe it. I caressed her cheek tenderly, trying to let my adoration for her show for the first time so that there would be no misunderstandings.

"Yes, really," I laughed.

We both stared into each other's eyes for a second more, unable to believe that we would never be alone again, and then my mouth was on hers. I rolled over so that I was on top of her and could get better access, to better relish the kiss. Her fingers became tangled in my accommodating hair and mine ran down up and down her back gently as our mouths interlocked and we sat up off the damp grass. I savoured the taste of her lips, feeling ecstasy as they shaped mine, and the fragrant floral of her scent almost overwhelming me with its pleasantness. The kiss was chaste, perfect and supremely the best first kiss above all others, vampire, human or werewolf, nobody could trump ours. Nobody could experience such a sweet, such a pure gesture of love. When we pulled back, we both wore identical expressions of bliss and my whole being craved for more.

"That was…that was wow." She sighed with contentment, her eyes closing peacefully as if she were recounting the kiss in her mind, as if what he had just experienced wasn't enough and she had to replay it a countless number of times.

Well, my thought's mirrored hers then.

"That was wow, it was more than wow," I agreed, running a hand through my tousled locks. 'Wow,' didn't even cover it.

"Was it the same with all your other kiss recipients?" she wondered aloud, her voice chagrined and containing a fragment of jealousy.

She worried unnecessarily.

"That was my first kiss and even if I did have something to compare it to, I have no doubt that ours would trump it." I grinned triumphantly.

"It was my first kiss too," she murmured shyly.

"I wonder what else we have in common?" I mused.

"So where does all of this leave us? What will your family think? How can I face them?" She cringed into my chest.

"The majority of them will be relieved that I've found someone and the rest will just have to get used to the idea. Vampires mate for life, and they understand that."

"You didn't answer my last question." Her brow furrowed with what I presumed to be stress. Instinctively, I smoothed it with my long fingers and then placed a kiss there.

"They don't blame you for anything," I assured her, the veracity of it being nighty eight precent when I considered Rosalie.

"That's not the only problem. When I'm around them, around anyone but you, I feel like I'm in danger, like they'll hurt me as soon as my back is turned. I get filled with such fear, fear that I can't even understand which leaves me incapable of talking to anyone without being terrified out of my wits." She shuddered.

"My family won't hurt you. Just keep telling yourself that, and if that doesn't work then remind yourself of the words that I'm about to say. I promise you that I will protect you no matter the location, circumstances people or the danger. I will protect you no matter what!" I told her fiercely.

"I know you will. Even when you're not protecting me, I feel safe. You always protect me, even if you don't realise it." She snuggled closer to my side and I enveloped her in my arms.

"My Bella, my sweet, sweet Bella." I sighed.

_Dear my love, haven't you wanted to be with me  
>And dear my love, haven't you longed to be free<br>I can't keep pretending that I don't even know you  
>And at sweet night, you are my own<br>Take my hand_

W_e're leaving here tonight_  
><em>There's no need to tell anyone<em>  
><em>They'd only hold us down<em>  
><em>So by the morning light<em>  
><em>We'll be half way to anywhere<em>  
><em>Where love is more than just your name<em>

_I have dreamt of a place for you and I_  
><em>No one knows who we are there<em>  
><em>All I want is to give my life only to you<em>  
><em>I've dreamt so long I cannot dream anymore<em>  
><em>Let's run away, I'll take you there<em>

_Forget this life_  
><em>Come with me<em>  
><em>Don't look back you're safe now<em>  
><em>Unlock your heart<em>  
><em>Drop your guard<em>  
><em>No one's left to stop you now<em>

_('Anywhere' by Evanescence) _

**Please make my day and leave a review :)  
><strong>

**Preview:**

**"What does it say?" I asked, the tension threatening to tear me apart with its intensity.**

**"It's from Charles." We all snarled in unison. "He wants Bella now too."**

**Beta: Please review for the sake of this wonderful author's happiness and inspiration to write! She writes beautifully!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

**Yay, a new chapter up! I've also put up a new poll on my profile page which I'd like for you to vote on. I'm just interested in knowing which POV I write the best so I can write from that characters perspective more often. Just so you know there will be no lemons in this story unless someone wants to write one for me. They would be credited of course. Thanks for all the reviews, support, alerts etc. :)**

**And thanks again to my Beta OhBoyYourMine!  
><strong>

** Enjoy!**

We stayed – conversing about the most random topics and sharing pleasurable kisses when the right opportunities presented themselves – in the clearing OF the forest until the sun disappeared behind the hills; three hours had quickly passed without our knowledge. When I was with Bella, everything seemed to cease to matter: time, place, words, obligations...

She admitted that she felt the same; her eyes betraying her chagrin that time had manage to elude her so successfully. We both wished to stay there, to let every problem we had ever faced slip away, while we focused on each other, but I knew that Esme would worry and Alice would come down here to physically drag us apart. I laughed a little when I thought of that - Bella joined in when I enlightened her on what was so amusing. Bella may have been a little frightened of Alice when she was near, but away from her where she could think around all the confusion and trepidation, she found her exuberance to be an endearing quality. I hoped desperately that she would grow accustomed to my family and we could all live like we used to; of course my angel by my side being included. Life would be meaningless without her.

She seemed to read the hesitance in my eyes and sighed. She knew that we had to leave now despite our bliss and squeezed my hand in a gesture to convey that she was ready to face my family.

"We don't have to go back to them you know," I teased, ruffling her dark hair. "We could go anywhere, New York, Canada, Asia, Europe, and Australia. Live as nomads."

"Tempting, but I like civilization a little too much. Besides your family seems nice, I just need to get over my issues." She frowned.

"Bella, you don't have issues and if you insist that you do then curling up to my side sounds like a pretty good compensation for having them." I laughed, feeling quite pleased with myself when a smile stretched across her face.

"True, I don't mind that part," she murmured.

"I don't know what I'd do if you did." I grinned. "Now let's go before my whole family has moved on out of boredom for waiting for us."

Without a word she tugged on my hand and we ran with blinding speed through the dense forest. In the few seconds before our conversation began, my mind began concocting a sort of melody as it did when compositions came to me randomly, and I stored it away for future reference. Staring at Bella's flawless features as we ran, I knew what my muse was. Once conversation did commence, it was as smooth as it would have been if we were motionless.

"Tell me about your family - maybe that will convince my mind not to be afraid," she requested, our speed never decreasing. I then conceded her question with a smile, filling her in on my family's histories while she listened intently with awe plastered on her divine face.

"I feel guilty, as if you have shared all their pasts with me and yet I don't have the ability to tell them mine," she admitted.

"You have a perfectly good reason to not and everyone will understand regardless," I assured her. Everyone except for Rosalie, I amended in my head.

"The worst part is that I'm hiding it from you. You were so honest, telling me about every bad and good thing that came before me and I can't even do that." She replied guiltily.

"I'm not expecting you to. I'm very patient and I will wait until you are ready. My priority is you, nobody else."

"I think that when I find the strength to tell you about it, that I'll finally move on. That it willbe the past not something that haunts me daily. I guess I'll just have to take it step by step."

"I'll be there every step of the way," I promised.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," she teased, but then stiffened with trepidation as my house came into view and Alice trailed down the porch steps to greet us. My side became her salvation once more.

"The family has promised to keep out of your way until you're ready." Alice smiled brightly at Bella. "We already have a room set up for you."

"My room," I assured her, when her wariness seemed to increase.

"Thank you," she whispered to Alice, incapable of uttering any other words, but the conventional ones and clutching tighter to my side as she said them.

"No problem." She waved it off nonchalantly. "Edward will show you around. Later." And then she danced back up the porch steps and inside faster than a blink of an eye. Bella seemed to relax marginally but her body was still tense as she replied, "You better show me our room then."

True to Alice's word, nobody roamed the living room and the house appeared to be empty. The thoughts upstairs in the occupied bedrooms said otherwise. I let her take in the room for a minute, planning to take her upstairs but let my plans idle when I noticed that she was staring at my piano almost reverently.

"Would you like to take a closer look?" I offered, gesturing to the grand piano. The melody that had formed in my head earlier came to me unbidden and dared me to try it out.

"If you don't mind," she murmured shyly. In answer, I led her over to my piano and scanned her face for any reaction. Her eyes contained unmistakable sorrow and tears were forming at the edges. Tears that would never fall due to her inability to cry as an immortal.

"What's wrong?" I asked her anxiously, my hands finding solace in her face. She seemed to swallow her sobs back forcefully before she answered and I squeezed her waist lightly in encouragement.

"My sister, Bree loved to play piano before I..." She trailed off with a choke. "I tried for hours and hours to perfect her favorite song in memory of her death and to express my apologies for my weakness, but Charles said it was fruitless and destroyed the piano before I even had the chance to take another breath. I knew that I'd never learn the damn song anyway but just the effort, I'd thought that she'd appreciate it wherever she is."

She burrowed her face into my chest despondently, the sobs loud and no longer blatant.

"I can teach you," I said softly. "I can teach you to play the song, whatever it is."

She lifted her head up, surprise dominant on her face and then hope lighting up her features.

"Would you? Can you play? Oh, it would mean so much to me, and to her. You don't know how grateful...," she babbled. I cut her off with a quick peck on her lips, before smiling gently.

"Of course I can. It would be no trouble at all and we could play it at her graveside if you wished."

"There was no body found, Charles dragged me away and dumped her body somewhere where I couldn't search for it. My parents still believe that she is a missing person but I know the truth. It's my entire fault. If they knew then they'd never forgive me." She whimpered, gripping my shirt tighter in support, almost to the point of ripping. I smoothed her fingers with mine, so that they laid gently against my shirt in an effort to calm the hysteria that was building inside of her and to preserve my button down. Alice wouldn't let me hear the end of it and would give me around fifty diverse shirts in compensation and more importantly, I couldn't let Bella's despair overrule her. I took my role as protector very seriously, and would live up to my title.

"Shh," I soothed her. "We can give her a proper send off if you wish. Perhaps then you can find some closure."

She simply hugged me in response and willed herself to regain her tranquility while I patted her back reassuringly. A burst of enraged thoughts entered my mind, and I wasn't surprised when I realized that it was Rosalie. I was too used to the tenor of her infuriated thoughts since the second that she woke up from her change. Her anger was directed towards Alice.

And Bella.

I wrapped my arms around her tightly and glared at the entry that Rosalie would use as passage into the room. Bella seemed to know what was happening because she stiffened with fright at Rosalie's furious snarls and at the shattering sound of glass being smashed against the wall in the room above us. Emmett's pleading voice as he tried to coerce her into tranquility could also be heard clearly and his thoughts portrayed his frustration at his mate.

"That bitch," Rosalie snarled. "I knew there wasn't a valid reason for not being able to walk into any room I want. She fucking lied to me. Convincing Emmett to seduce me isn't going to work every time Alice!"

"I did it for Bella," Alice replied weakly.

"That's it" Rosalie hissed. Her thoughts were quieter than her spoken words, yet the message in them was quite clear. She was jealous that Alice seemed to prefer Bella over her as a friend, jealous that not everything seemed to revolve around her anymore, jealous that Bella could just waltz into the family without any effort and most shocking of all, jealous that I found Bella more beautiful than she.

The disbelief of it didn't make it any less true.

Without any prior warning, Rosalie stormed downstairs - with the pressure of her steps enough to create cracks in the stairs - and glared at us when we were in her line of sight.

"You're the reason why I'm stuck in my room!" She jabbed a finger at Bella accusingly who was quivering with fright. "So, just suck it up because I can go wherever the hell I want."

"Rosalie Lillian Hale!" Esme reapproved from somewhere upstairs angrily while I growled furiously.

"This newborn has created every inconvenience for me that I have. Get rid of her, I don't care if you have this stupid protective instinct. Buy a dog and get over it. Only a Cullen can reside in this house, and she is definitely not a Cullen." Rosalie glared at Bella with hostility.

"But she will be, as soon as she's ready!" I snapped with certainty.

"You don't automatically become a Cullen like that! You have to be changed by Carlisle or one of us, or have at least known us for more than a few hours, dumbass. And that relationship would have to be a close one. Or how about this with you as an exception, you have to be mated with a Cullen, AKA be married into the family."

"Exactly. So, she will be a Cullen."

"None of those reasons fit the bill, or can't you hear me properly!" she asked sardonically.

"The last option seemed pretty sound to me. Now leave us alone. Bella will be a Cullen when she's ready, and in the meantime, I'd appreciate it if you'd go hunting for a while. Bella's scared out of her wits because of you." I stroked Bella's hair softly, as my eyes stared down Rosalie's. Rosalie's face turned exceedingly white and her eyes widened with shock, all the anger slipping away.

"She's your mate?" Rosalie whispered.

"Yes. I gave you courtesy when Emmett first came here. I expect you to do the same for me." I sighed. After a lengthy minute, the shock wore away and a smirk disfigured her features.

"Trust you to pick the screwed up one."

There were snarls not just from me but from everyone in the house. They had taken to Bella very quickly and found the insult overly offensive.

"I'll leave you alone just make sure she's normal again before I come back. Pitifulness annoys the hell out of me. Emmett," Rosalie called out clearly, her voice finally even. "Let's go hunting."

"Sure babe," he replied, hiding his irritation well. It would be gone regardless once he emerged downstairs; Emmett couldn't stay mad at his Rose for long, especially when she unleashed her charm on him. He loped downstairs cheerfully and then he and Rosalie disappeared from sight. Bella and I were alone once more.

"I'm really sorry about that," I murmured to Bella in apology. She nodded silently, obviously still frozen in shock at Rosalie's outburst. "She'll come around. I know her innermost thoughts. Remember." I tapped my forehead with my fingertips, flashing a grin and trying to alleviate the tense atmosphere. It worked; she cracked a smile and took one of my hands from her waist, gently squeezing it. I squeezed it back before I spoke.

"Seriously Bella, don't worry about her. Everyone loves to have you here and when you're ready, they will introduce themselves."

"Okay," she breathed unnecessarily, "I need to be distracted before I fully analyze what Rosalie told me. When I analyze is usually when I break down and start comparing whatever occurred to what happened before."

"How about we go up to our room then?" I smiled at the word, at the feel of pronouncing such a powerful world, one which I had dreamed of saying to a woman for years.

"Good idea," she agreed, interlacing our fingers and letting me lead her up the stairs. She gaped in wonder as she saw our many priceless paintings, our collections, everything.

Before we entered our room, I paused.

"Now they've made a few changes. So don't think that I'm naturally this girly. I chose nothing, you hear me. I don't want you getting the wrong idea." I chuckled. I had no idea myself what they had done but knew from experience what they were capable of.

"Okay then," she replied, confused but wary. I grinned at her crookedly before opening the door and unleashing her to whatever monstrosity Alice and Esme had created.

It was actually simpler than I expected. The feminine aspects of the room were lilac scented candles, a crystal vase of freesias on a dark coffee table in the corner and an addition of light music to my already extensive collection. One thing that I did not anticipate but should have was the massive bed that dominated most of the space. Its covers were a deep red, the headboard was a dark woodsy hue and its canopy seemed almost feathery. Looking at this bed caused some thoughts within in me that would get me in trouble and make Emmett proud - two things that were always conjoined together in this household. If I was human, then I would have flushed. Bella looked at the bed curiously.

"I thought we didn't sleep. Why do we need a bed?"

Muffled snickering and tinkling laughter sounded from the other rooms and I was relieved for Bella's sake, that Emmett wasn't present at the time being. He would never let her live it down.

"Love, sleeping isn't the only purpose for a bed," I reminded her, smiling as the affectionate term came naturally out of my lips. It suited her. My love.

"Oh. Oh!" Her amber eyes widened and she looked down in humiliation.

"We don't have to...do it any time soon. Only when we're ready," I assured her, trying not to say the words in order to not embarrass her any further. Jasper's thoughts were smug at my supposed venture into manhood and all the others were trying to hold back their own laughter.

"Ugh, okay. Can we talk about something else now? Please?" she begged.

"I'd rather stray off this topic myself," I admitted, stroking her soft cheek with my free hand.

"Show me your stuff," she suggested, seeming at ease for once. My guess was that it was the one room which didn't hold any horrible memories, not many people ventured into, my main leisure spot and reminded her of me.

"Well, I could show you my music collection," I said the words like they were a question, cautiously. I wasn't sure if music was something she enjoyed or if it would remind her of unspeakable things.

"Sure. I love music and you look like you have a pretty extensive collection," she gushed eagerly, before following me over to the mountains of my CD's. She trailed her finger over all the titles until she halted on one without warning and then turned back to me.

"Debussy? I love Debussy! Much better than all that new stuff out today where all they sing about is getting drunk and swearing their heads off!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"You really are my soul-mate," I said with awe before locking my arms around her waist and kissing her.

"I also see that you like Linkin Park. Good to know you have variety as well." She nodded appreciatively.

"One day, we should compare our playlists," I replied, kissing her silky hair.

"You might be surprised," she warned, but her blinding smile said otherwise. We then went on to compare our music preferences for the next hour but were interrupted when a wail of despair tainted the air.

"Alice," I murmured, reading the tenor of the panicked thoughts.

"What is it?" Bella asked, instantly on red alert, all traces of amusement gone.

"I don't know. Her thoughts are far too hysterical to read," I replied, my forehead creasing up with worry.

"We need to see her in case it's important. Don't worry about me. As long as you keep me in your embrace, I should be okay."

"Are you sure?" I demanded. Alice suddenly appearing in the room made the decision for us. Her eyes were half-crazed and her mouth was still gaping open with shock.

"Read this." She shoved the letter in my startled face and I scanned the messy scrawl quickly. What was written there caused a deep fury within me, one that nobody could curb.

"He. Is. Going. To. Die." I enunciated each word with a snarl, my eyes flaring with hatred for the man who was about to ruin everything.

"Who? What's wrong? What does it say?" Esme cried desperately from the doorway where she, Jasper and Carlisle stood. As if to show them, I encircled Bella tightly in my arms with no hope of letting her go and let Alice answer.

"It's from Charles." We all snarled in unison. "He wants Bella now too."

Bella began shaking uncontrollably with fear in my arms, and my expression softened automatically in response. Fiercely, I took her face between my hands and looked her in the eye.

"He's not going to come within one country of you. We're leaving for Alaska, now."

She nodded, biting her lip and then taking deep breaths although her eyes still betrayed her trepidation. My hands did not loosen from her face.

"Look. I'll keep you safe, just like I have been since the second I met you," I told her seriously.

She nodded again, forcing an anxious smile and hugging me as tightly as I had been embracing her.

"I'll get the cars prepared. Esme, can you call Rosalie and Emmett. They can meet us there," Carlisle said, his expression calm despite the situation.

"Of course," Esme murmured before she and Carlisle exited the room.

"How did he get the note here?" I asked Alice. "Why couldn't we perceive his scent or hear his approach?"

"He sent someone. A young girl, around the age of fifteen or sixteen and definitely a vampire. I didn't see her face, she ran off before I could do anything." Alice moaned, and I could sense her helplessness even without Jasper's power.

"It's not your fault Alice. We don't expect you to see everything." I half-heartedly gave her a ghost of a smile.

"I'll go pack some stuff for Bella. You probably need to tell her about the Denali sisters." Alice shot me a meaningful look.

I groaned in response.

This was going to be a pleasant conversation.

**I've given you a hopefully awesome new chapter, so please give something awesome in return by reviewing. Even just a smiley face will do if you have nothing to say and simply just like my story. Thanks :)**

**Beta: Please, as always, review and show your love for this wonderful writer :) She really deserves it**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five:**

**16/8/12 update: I've fixed up all of the grammar and spelling issues :)  
><strong>

**You guys make me so happy with your reviews. Thank you :)**

**Here is the next chapter of Destined!**

* * *

><p>"Who are the Denali sisters?" Bella asked obliviously, not yet sensing my tension.<p>

The Denali sisters were all succubus, and one of them – Tanya, had formed an irritating infatuation with me. This wouldn't be easy to explain to the love of my existence. I could tell that jealousy would be inevitable – mates were very defensive – despite the fact that Tanya had nothing on her in both beauty and intelligence, and I would brush Tanya off like a fly in any situation, my undivided attention on my beloved. I could tell from back in the forest when we'd both declared ourselves, that Bella had insecurities, and I sure as hell would make sure that Tanya didn't mess with them, that she wouldn't use Bella's vulnerability as an advantage.

Nobody would mess with my Bella.

I didn't believe that the other sisters – Kate, Carmen and Irina – would pose a problem. Most likely they would be sad for their sister but relieved that I had found someone after all this time. After all they were probably sick of Tanya's advances and the dejected mood that I always seemed to be in before I had found love.

Tanya and her sisters weren't the only reason that I was tense. Charles was near and the note that he had delivered was a clear indication that he wasn't giving up any time soon, not until he got Esme, and now Bella. He wouldn't succeed; I'd make sure of that. I finally had a purpose and I wasn't taking any chances. That was why Denali was necessary.

"I'll tell you in the car when we're driving. There's no time," I muttered. I led her down to the garage by her hand and got into the backseat of the Volvo – Alice was already in the driver's seat with Jasper seated beside her, and I wouldn't have to drive. I preferred it better this way, it meant I could keep an constant eye on Bella and comfort her if the situation got out of hand – out of hand meaning if her reaction to the Denali sisters was less than accepting.

"Carlisle and Esme have already left," Alice said casually, before stomping her high-heeled shoe on the accelerator and exiting the garage. Bella flinched at the sound of her voice.

"We could get a cover to divide…," I offered, but Bella cut me off before I could finish.

"I'm going to need to get over this feeling if I'm going to meet a bunch of new people," she assured me, but her eyes were anxious.

"What is it that makes you uneasy?" I wondered.

"I get flashes of things whenever I come into contact with someone – anyone besides you, and you can guess what that does to me," she admitted.

"Well I guess that I'll just have to distract you then." I smiled at her crookedly.

"Well how about you start off with the Denali sisters," she suggested, smiling back coyly.

"You're not going to like what I'm going to tell you although it would make a good distraction...," I hesitated, trying not to imagine what her expression would behold if I did tell her. It definitely wouldn't be the tranquil one which she wore now.

"I need to know! Alice kind of implied that these Denali people are important, and I need to know everything I can so that I can help you."

"Well, you do need to be prepared, that's for sure. Well as you obviously figured out already, they aren't our cousins by blood but they're close friends with the family and one of them formed an… attachment to me."

"Oh," she said quietly, and despite her efforts to hide it, her eyes were unfathomably sad.

"Bella." I tilted her chin up so that she was staring deep into my eyes and could deeply grasp what I was about to tell her. There needed to be no doubts when we arrived at Alaska; she needed to understand. "You are the only person who has ever, and always will have my heart."

Her perfect lips trembled as she spoke, and she was obviously overcome with emotion. "It's just so hard to believe that someone like you could want someone as damaged as me."

"You have it backward," I told her softly. "I love you."

"I love you too."

And then we cuddled in the backseat of the Volvo for the remainder of the trip, forgetting all else until we arrived at Alaska and all our problems were thrown back in our face maliciously by fate.

…

"Carlisle and Esme have already arrived, but haven't explained why we're here yet or your connection to Bella, so be prepared," Alice warned me. Jasper promptly filled the air with tranquility. It was thoughtful of him, however it didn't seem to work on any of us.

"Can you see where Charles is now?" I asked Alice.

"He tried to follow us but gave up when he figured out how many of us there were going to be. He's not bothering to play with my blind spots anymore but that doesn't mean that he hasn't got something else up his sleeve." She sighed.

Bella wasn't the only one shuddering now.

"Will he go after Rosalie and Emmett?" Jasper inquired urgently. Alice's face glazed over for a second and I sighed with relief.

"No," we both answered with certainty.

"He's a bit intimidated by Emmett and they're too far away in any case," Alice explained.

"We should discuss this with the rest of our family, and the Denali clan should be present." Jasper frowned. We all took his words as a queue to make our way to their front door. I rubbed soothing circles into Bella's palm with my fingers, noticing how her whole body became tense with the thought of what she was about to encounter.

We didn't even have to knock; they could hear our footsteps and my car from a mile away. I cursed internally when I saw who answered – it was Tanya. What were the odds? She seemed to completely take no notice of Bella's existence as she ran over to embrace me, her manner possessive. Her thoughts told me that she actually hadn't perceived Bella in her joy at seeing me, and it wasn't until I'd cleared my throat, stepped away from her and hugged Bella tightly to my side that she finally noticed.

"Oh, I didn't know. I didn't realize that you'd...," she trailed off. "Who's this?" Tanya asked stiffly, her voice containing traces of jealousy and disappointment. She truly believed that I would cave one day; that her seductions would finally take an effect on me.

She couldn't be more wrong.

"This is my Bella. My mate," I said the words firmly, trying to get the message across.

"Well, she's certainly not what I expected." She frowned. _'I expected him to pick someone, well more beautiful than me, if there is such a thing – not that she's not pretty but she's quite … plain for a vampire. __He obviously picked intelligence over looks,' s_he thought. I snarled quietly at her. Her thoughts were blasphemous.

"Oh I'm sorry, that was rude. I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Tanya, Edward's... friend," she said the last word with distaste.

"So I've heard." Bella's eyes narrowed and the blatant animosity flowing between them was almost tangible. All of her fear had slithered away and she was now fiercely protective. I now realized that whenever I was, or our relationship, was even slightly in danger she would be on the defensive and instead of images being conjured up in her mind, a red haze of fury would take its place and she would no longer be afraid, only livid.

"Don't you follow our diet?" Tanya sneered, perceiving Bella's crimson eyes_. 'She thinks she's superior to me, huh? Well she's got another thing coming!'_

"Of course I do! I've only been a vampire for a few weeks," Bella said coldly, glaring at her openly.

"No wonder you need protecting," Tanya mocked.

"We all need protecting Tanya," I said through clenched teeth.

"Tanya, why don't you go to Carlisle and Esme while I entertain the remainder of our guests?" Kate suggested, darting lithely to her sister's side and putting a hand on her shoulder which she shrugged deftly off.

"Fine, you do the honors," Tanya sulked, disappearing before any of us could even blink.

"I'm sorry about her," Kate apologized. "She'll realize how rude she's been acting in a minute. She just finds it entertaining to fight for someone's affection even when she knows its fruitless, and can get a little carried away."

"It's okay," we all agreed at once.

"Hi, I'm Kate," she addressed Bella with a smile. "Nothing has been explained yet, but your name would be a good start."

Bella hand tightened in mine, and I could tell she'd gone into lock-down mode again – the threat to us had now passed and she seemed incapable of speaking again. My stoic heart clenched in my chest at the thought of her pain.

"Bella," I answered for her.

_'What's wrong with her?' _Kate asked me warily through her thoughts.

"We'll explain this all when we're inside," I replied aloud.

She nodded, and then we all followed her inside. The interior of the house was far too familiar for me to take into account so I barely took any notice of my surroundings. Carlisle, Esme and the remainder of the Denali coven, excluding Tanya, smiled at us warmly in welcome as we took a seat next to them on the burgundy recliner.

"So nice to see you all again." Carmen smiled.

"It's been too long," Jasper replied.

"I hope you don't mind that we overheard your conversation outside. It's wonderful to hear that you've found your other half after all this time Edward," Carmen addressed me pleasantly. Eleazar nodded his head in agreement.

"It is wonderful." I smiled at Bella with appreciation before reverting my attention back to the others.

"I think we should explain why we're here. You guys need to know now," Alice announced.

"It may help if you start from the beginning," Irina suggested, her features pinched up with confusion.

"Starting with how you met Bella." Kate grinned. _'And why she is the way she is.'_

"This is where it gets difficult. The circumstances weren't exactly the most ideal although I'll never regret them happening..." I was then interrupted by the sound of the door being swung open and an irritated Rosalie storming through, Emmett trailing warily behind.

"Well I'm here. What do you want me to do now? Die for the mental case? Cause I sure as hell am not doing that." Rosalie frowned at Carlisle and Esme. Emmett sent me an apologetic look. _'Sorry bro, I tried.'_

At least she seemed a little less furious than before.

I shot her a livid glare. The Denali sister's didn't ask although Tanya looked smug that someone finally agreed with her.

"Continue Edward," Kate said impatiently.

"The problem is that we can't really start from the beginning. Bella's current state is preventing us from doing that," Carlisle said before I could.

"Current state?" Kate raised an eyebrow in question.

"She's in too fragile a state to even tell us of her past," Carlisle answered. I looked down at Bella for consent towards confiding the others with the information that she'd provided. She nodded nervously.

"Images of the things that she's endured, prevent her from telling us about it, and she locks down. Only I can appease her."

"I know just how to solve that problem," Eleazar spoke up to my surprise.

"How?" We all wondered.

"She's a shield, yes? I can't get a read on her so she must be. All that can be done to stop the images from entering her mind is simply to block them with her shield."

"How do I do that?" Bella squeaked.

"I can help you with that," Kate offered. "My power is similar to yours in that way."

"Before we proceed, that is what must be done," Eleazar said.

"We better get started then," I muttered, knowing that this would take a ton of time that we didn't have, and a lot of effort on Bella's part. I had no doubt about Bella's ability whatsoever, I just didn't want her to feel any discomfort in any form and this would definitely force her to step out of her comfort zone.

…

"Come on Bella. You can do it," I encouraged an hour later, wincing at the look on her face when Kate grabbed her arms roughly, forcing the images to make their way through her mind.

"Edward." Was all Bella whimpered.

"Remember what I taught you. Pretend there's something in your mind that's pushing the images back, like a steel box," Kate drilled.

"Kate, maybe we should..." I trailed off, startled, when Bella pulled back from Kate and an almost smile graced her lips.

"I almost did it!" Bella exclaimed. "But then I lost my hold on it and they all came rushing back."

"Keep going," Kate instructed, her face impassive.

"You can do it." I smiled at her, full of confidence even after the full hour that we'd been practicing. Kate grabbed her arm again but Bella had no reaction. A few seconds later and neither a cringe nor any sign of discomfort could be seen on Bella's tranquil face. A minute later and a grin stretched across it.

"I… I... they're not coming back. I'm not even making any effort and they're not coming back." She laughed with glee.

"I don't know how long this will last," Kate said anxiously, but her voice was just a hum in the background. In less than half a second, Bella was by my side and I was twirling her up into the air in victory. She giggled with delight, not even protesting like I would have expected. When I set her down, and had given her a breathtaking kiss, all laughter died away and Bella's face was dead serious.

"What is it?" I asked, my face growing serious also, worrying that her shield had fallen. She smiled grimly and then sighed.

"I guess that you need to hear about my past, understand who I used to be."

"Enlightenment would be helpful, and not just because we _need_ to know, I _want_ to know everything about you and not just the pleasant parts," I told her gently. As I spoke, everyone came to join us, waiting to hear Bella's response, to hear her history.

She sighed once more and then delved into the story that I'd been waiting to hear since I'd first set eyes on her.

It wasn't pretty.

* * *

><p><strong>I hope that I'm still going well with this and that everyone's still interested. Please share your thoughts and leave me a review to squeal with excitement over. Thanks :)<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**I know it's been over four months since I updated this, but I've been thinking, and I've decided that I _might_ continue it. **

**It all depends on two things:**

**1. Is everyone still interested in reading this story? **

**2. Should I re-write chapter five or leave it as it is? I went back and re-read the last chapter I posted, and in my opinion it was CRAP so I'm thinking of re-writing it completely (meaning that the whole "Bella's shield practice thing with Kate" didn't happen. They'll still go to Denali but the things that happen there will be different) unless everyone thinks it unnecessary.  
><strong>

**Let me know :)  
><strong>


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Six

**Sorry for the insane amount of time you had to wait for this chapter. I hope it lives up to your expectations. I was amazed by the amount of people who like this story and I seriously thought that everybody had forgotten about it by now. It's awesome to know that, that's not the case! Enjoy :) **

* * *

><p>Bella waited until everyone, including all of the members of the Denali coven, had joined us outside. Their faces were drawn with grim seriousness as they realised what they'd all been called out here for.<p>

"I'm ready to tell everyone my past now," Bella said nervously to everyone, clutching my hand tightly in hers.

We all nodded for her to begin, and she conceded with a quivering sigh.

"I can't remember the exact date when this all started, all I can remember is that it happened three months ago, and I'd just gotten home from school. The school I used to go to was only twenty minutes from my house, and Bree and I used to walk together to and from it everyday. That afternoon, I was stupidly oblivious to everything around me, not taking into account anything, but those things that concerned me. I'd just gotten a horrible report card and was trying to keep my guilty thoughts at bay, wanting to hide the report card as soon as I returned home. Bree was very nervous, rightly paranoid, and kept telling me that she felt as if we were being followed. I brushed off her worry with a laugh and continued to think of ways to curb my parents' anger if they found my report."

"When we got home, it was no different. Bree kept nagging me about how she could hear things outside, screamed even, when she saw a shadow lurking on our front porch. I remember snapping irritably at her, telling her she was being stupid and to shut up. The guilt I felt at hiding my report card was making me moody, and I didn't feel like tolerating her foolishness. Eventually her nagging and my annoyance at her nagging caused a full blown fight, and escalated to the point where Bree threatened that she was going to tell my parents about my horrible grades. Knowing that there was nothing I could have done to deter her, I stormed out of the house and sat on our front porch. I'd only sat there for about two minutes when I heard something lurk behind me, but thinking it was Bree, I ignored it. I knew how wrong my assumption was when I felt a hand – cold as death – grasp my shoulder tightly, almost to the point where it was painful. I turned to see a man with frightening crimson eyes leering at me. Before I could even gather up the courage to scream, he had covered my mouth with his large hand and hit me with his other one so I lost consciousness. When I awoke, I felt as if I were on the brink of death, in fact, I felt as if I were burning in hell. The pain was so intense, so agonising, that I wanted to die, but I would go through it one thousand times more if it meant I didn't have to face all those horrible events afterwards."

There was a small pause. I could sense that what Bella had just told us was nothing compared to what she was about to. I squeezed her hand reassuringly, and she grasped mine more tightly in response.

"None of us will judge you for what that monster made you do," I whispered in her ear.

"I know," she said simply.

"When I awoke as one of us, in a room pitch black, I didn't know what to think. I was incredibly thirsty, I could run faster than a cheetah, and I was stronger than all of the people I knew put together, yet my skin was paler than I'd ever seen it and all the blemishes on my skin that I'd always hated were non-existent. If I'd seen my face, caught even one glimpse of it, I think I would have gone into hysteria, so I'm lucky there were no mirrors.

"Charles was waiting on the other side of the room; I could see him despite the darkness due to my improved vision, and I remember cowering back from the frightening, sardonic smile on his face. I then proceeded to ask him where I was, who he was, and what he'd done to me. The amusement on his face flared into one of irritation and he was at my side in an instant, throwing me to the floor. Though the movement didn't hurt me, it did make me more frightened then ever.

'Get up you stupid bitch,' he'd screamed. 'You're a fucking vampire! Now grow a backbone and fight back'. To numb to do anything but just lie there, and stunned by what he'd called me, he continued to kick me, hurling insult after insult at me. After a while it all became too much and I jumped up and away from him and yelled at him to give me an answer to the remainder of my questions. I called him a psycho, a nut-job, but he just laughed, it was a deep and menacing sound." She shuddered.

"He asked me who I wanted to drink first, and I didn't understand his question. I'd thought his comment about me being a vampire was just an insult regarding my pallor. This brought on another round of expletives. I screamed for him to bring me back to my family, but that was the very worst thing I could have possibly done. He told me I'd die from the sunlight if I tried to leave the basement and left before I could say another word. Not believing a word he said, I raised my hand to the light and recoiled when it started to glow with a bright light. Despite the fact that there was no pain, I stupidly believed that I would only burn if I stayed in the sun a prolonged amount of time, and remained inside the basement. I have no idea how much time passed. It could have been an hour, it might have been half a day, but eventually Charles returned, and he was not alone. He had Bree, struggling in his arms, and when she saw me, she screamed for me to help her, to tell her what was going on. I screamed for him to let her go, and to my deepest shock, he set her down in front of me. The burning in my throat became almost impossible to manage and I had no idea how to quench it. It seemed to get worse the closer Bree was to me. However, it didn't stop me from hugging her tightly, and pulling the both of us away from Charles. Bree recoiled from me, as if I were as much a monster as him. If only I knew the truth."

"Bella, you are not a monster!" I said fiercely, dumbfounded that she would come to this conclusion. Despite her dark past, and her current state of immortality, she was the purest soul on this earth.

Bella just shook her head desolately and continued.

"Bree yelled at him, screaming 'that's not my sister, what have you done with her' I tried to convince her that it was me but she wouldn't listen. She was always stubborn like that." Bella's voice cracked, and I could tell that we were getting to the most difficult part of her story.

"Charles told me to drink from her, and I outright refused 'don't you feel the burn?' he had yelled. After he had finally realised that I wouldn't yield to his demands, he grabbed Bree from where she was hiding in the corner and forced me to bite her, by shoving my teeth into her arm and breaking the skin. Once the taste of her blood entered my mouth, all coherent thoughts were lost and I forgot what, and whom, I was drinking from."

Bella's voice was a mere whisper now, reflecting the pain she was experiencing. But despite the magnitude of it she continued with her story, my hand acting as a lifeguard for her.

"'That's enough!' Charles had roared, and then he dragged Bree's limp body away from mine. He then left the room to go bury her somewhere, or dump her body, I suppose. All I could do, after that happened, was sob, but no tears came, and I was too upset to be alarmed at why none did. While I cried, I also made a silent prayer to heaven, a plea for Bree to forgive me wherever she is. I was still sobbing when Charles came back, and he was enraged by my behaviour. 'Stop being a weakling, you bitch, get up, I need you for a damn army, get the fuck up!' he had screamed at me. When I made no indication of moving, he kicked me and kicked me repeatedly. Even though it wasn't painful, it was uncomfortable and my instincts were screaming for me to respond violently."

"'I'm going to have to teach you to obey me! I am your master, you will do as I say.' he had snarled at me. He then proceeded to rip my right arm off, then my left. Once, he'd reattached them, he repeated the process, along with my legs. The feeling of my limbs being ripped apart was pure agony, but nothing compared to what he did next. He… he…'

She choked on her words, her eyes dark with pain, a pain that nothing could subdue. A pain so profound that it was almost tangible.

Her pain was my pain.

"It's okay… it's okay," I murmured gently, taking her into my arms and embracing her tightly, wanting to never let her go.

"He told me that only one act would truly make me see who my true master was, that he'd have to force me to understand who was in total control. He… he forced me to… he… he … took away the one thing that I wanted to save for you … he took the one thing I can never get back." She sobbed.

"What is it Bella?" I asked her urgently. "Whatever it is, I can get it back for you."

"No you can't, it's impossible, irreversible!" She blubbered.

"Bella, what is it?" I begged.

"He … he stole my virginity … he … he raped me," she finally gasped out.

The volume of my snarl wholly trumped everybody's gasps.

"That bastard! I am going to be the one kill him, no one else! He is mine to kill! Nothing can save him from what I'm planning to do to him!"

I could feel nothing, nothing but the desire to kill, to rip Charles Evanson to shreds for disrespecting my reason for existing, for making her life hell on earth, for treating her like she was worse than garbage. All rationality had slipped away and there was nothing in between me and his now inevitable death.

Nothing except Bella.

"Edward, Edward!" she cried, clearly distressed. All thoughts of violent murder and retribution, slipped away. My demeanor immediately lost its murderous edge and my only lucid thoughts were on fixing Bella's grief.

"What's wrong?" I asked her frantically, my hands searching her face with maniac anxiety.

"You can't fight him alone, you'll lose. Please, for me, don't fight him alone! I can't lose you, I can't!" Bella pleaded.

I sighed, knowing she was right.

"We cannot be rash, we need to be careful in our movements," Jasper warned.

Kate, who had been silent during the whole of Bella's story, finally spoke, her voice apologetic.

"I'm sorry, but you've implied that our time is short, and we shouldn't waste any more of it. I think it would be prudent for Bella to continue with her story."

"Kate is right," Alice agreed. "We can discuss thoughts of Charles's death after Bella has finished."

Everybody else nodded.

Bella's eyes flashed with chagrin as everyone else's attention reverted back to her. Sensing that she needed a little encouragement to continue with her tragic tale, I whispered words of my adoration for her into her ear, and kissed her forehead tenderly.

Her confidence appeared to grow instantly, as she smiled back radiantly at me, the ghost of anguish that had haunted her crimson eyes previously, all but disappeared, at least for the minute. She seemed to stand up a little straighter in my arms as she spoke.

"Charles did those things to me … raped …" Her voice broke for a second. "Raped me repetitively every day, seeming to garner pleasure from my pain. You might think that just because I was a vampire it didn't hurt, but it did … worse than you can possibly imagine, and not just that. He played with my spirit, tortured it until it was nearly as dead as my body."

"I can empathise completely with what happened to you, how you must have suffered. Charles did the same to me when we were human. Oh, Bella," Esme cried out.

Carlisle and I flinched, remembering exactly how Esme had been treated when she'd been married to Charles. Even as a human, he'd been more brutal than humanity allowed. I'd seen the images in Esme's head when she'd recalled them after Carlisle had saved her and seen her battered body and spirit the night Carlisle changed her. Esme was truly the only person who could emphasise with Bella, also having had her body grossly mistreated by Charles, excluding Rosalie that was, who's thoughts revealed her true sorrow, while her actions portrayed a façade of indifference.

Rosalie was the last person on my mind right now, however.

My eyes were solely trained on Bella, then on Esme who was reaching out to Bella with her arms outstretched. Remembering Bella's aversion to touch, Esme stopped up short, lowered her arms and tried to keep her motherly compassion under control. To everyone's absolute amazement, Bella disentangled herself out of my arms and ran over to Esme, giving her a tight hug, and then sobbing into her shoulder. Esme patted her back soothingly and stroked her hair; her motherly touch being all Bella seemed to need at the present.

Despite the seriousness of all of this, and the reason why the embrace was needed, I couldn't help but smile at the sight of the both of them. Bella was healing, and my mother was helping speed along that process. Esme's thoughts were nothing of concern for her new daughter; that was how she viewed Bella now.

They hugged for a further two minutes, and Bella sobbed for the same amount of time. When Bella let go, she looked a lot more relaxed than she did previously, the form of my mother – of a mother, I suspected – had filled the minor void that I could never have filled, despite my incessant love. Although I was everything to Bella, as she was everything to me, she needed more than just a lover to get through this all. She needed a whole network of support, and although my comfort weighed much more than anyone else's, she still needed other forms of it profusely. Everybody needed a family, and my family was perfect for her in that way.

Instead of cowering into my arms now, when she retuned to them, she relished my touch for the sensation, to be close to me for the purpose of our bond, not because she feared those around us. I knew she'd be different around those she didn't know very well, or at all, that she'd be naturally suspicious and wary around them, but that didn't matter right now. All that mattered was that she was comfortable here, right now. I knew the feeling of despair would return for her, even if it was just my family around her, that it would make its horrific revisit if she spoke or heard of her sister, or if the name Charles was uttered, because those sorts of things didn't go away, only time could heal wounds like that.

And If Charles was annihilated, we'd have all the time in the world.

Bella's voice was clear, determined now, as she spoke.

"I didn't know I was part of an army that was created to kill all of you, not until he set us all loose on the killing field. I didn't even know there were other newborns until I was shoved out of the basement and was ordered to follow a horde of them to a clearing. I tried to stay at the back of the angry mass of them, frightened when they began to fight amongst each other on the way there. Only when I got there and saw you guys, did I realise that I was changed for a purpose, and that purpose was to kill. I refused to fight, scared of what was happening around me, wanting to retain the few morals which I still had from my human life, but not really adverse to dying if one of you happened to kill me. I was just afraid of more pain, of more abuse."

There was a slight pause as she tried to maintain her calm composure. I was ready to step in but my preparation was unnecessary, Bella had already pushed back the melancholy inside of her as far back as it would go, and was ready to continue.

"And then Edward saved me, he took me away from all of that, and gave me everything I needed, he still does." Her ruby eyes grew soft, and her lips quirked upwards. I squeezed her hand tightly and smiled crookedly at her.

"And I wouldn't trade that decision for the world," I whispered in her ear, and then gave her a quick peck on the lips. If my family and the Denali coven weren't present then I would have given her a lot more than just a simple peck, but there was always later, we had forever.

"And here we are now." Bella finished, her whole demeanor relaxing as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

It had.

"So what does this mean?" Emmett asked. "What do we do? Are we allowed to go kill him now?"

Trust Emmett to forget all the technicalities of such a thing. Like Jasper had reminded all of us before, we needed to be wary about our actions, as well as Charles's, and plan it all out very precisely.

"We don't even know where Charles is, let alone how we can kill him without him killing us." I pointed out.

"If the Denali coven help us, then it will be an easy win. It will be twelve against one."

"Plus that teenage girl who dropped off his message here, but she didn't look that powerful anyway," Alice said.

"We came here for asylum, not for our cousins' help," Carlisle reminded us all.

"And that's all we can offer." Tanya huffed.

"We haven't discussed this," Kate hissed at her sister. "I think we should talk about this as a coven, not have separate opinions which we voice."

"Yes, that is true," Carmen agreed.

"From what I've heard of this Charles man, I want him dead too," Eleazar added.

"If you need my help, then Elezar and I will aid you," Carmen announced.

Kate grinned. "As will I."

"Although we appreciate your help, I doubt it's necessary at the present," Carlisle said gently. "However, we may take up your offer if we find it is needed."

"So what's the plan?" Emmett repeated.

"We don't have one yet," I replied, exasperated. "Why don't you suggest one then?"

"I have a plan," Bella said quietly, causing us all to turn to her in shock.

"What is it, love?" I asked her.

Her only response to our shock was the two words that she murmured.

"Follow me."

* * *

><p><strong>More Bella and Edward romance coming up soon, please be patient :)<strong>

**Also, please consider leaving me a review. I promise that you won't have to wait four months for the next chapter if you people do. Thanks :) **


End file.
